Method and apparatus for electronic payment by a client in a self-service store

• US 5,637,846 A
• Filed: 07/21/1994
• Issued: 06/10/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ahold Licensing SA
• Original Assignee: Ahold Retail Services AG
• Inventors: Boers, Jan, van Solt, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/278,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/383, 235/472, 235/384
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

The invention relates to a store arrangement for purchasing articles in a self-service store according to a self-registration system whereby a client himself registers articles selected by him with a scanner. The store arrangement includes at least one identification device for recognizing a client and a readout station for reading out the articles registered with the scanner. The store arrangement further comprises a paying station for paying in electronic manner and without intervention of store personnel for articles read from the scanner by the readout station, and for clearing a passage for the client to leave the store when the articles have been paid for in electronic manner.

Claims

1. A store arrangement for purchasing articles in a self-service store according to a self-registration system whereby a client registers articles selected by him with a scanner, comprising at least one identification device for recognizing a client and a readout station for reading out the articles registered with the scanner, characterized in that the store arrangement further comprises paying means for paying in electronic manner and without intervention of store personnel for articles read from the scanner by the readout station, and for clearing a passage for the client to leave the store when the articles have been paid for in electronic manner.

2. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the paying means comprise at least one closable passage which is normally closed and is automatically opened when the electronic payment has been effected.

3. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the paying means comprise at least one paying station for recognizing a payment card belonging to a client, the electronic payment being effected after the payment card has been read out by the paying station functioning as identification device.

4. A store arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the paying station comprises a card processing unit by which the information stored on and/or in the payment card can be read.

5. A store arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the paying station includes a card processing unit for writing information on and/or in the payment card.

6. A store arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the card processing unit is capable of writing on and/or in the payment card, information about trading stamps, control parameters, date of last visit, frequency of visits and/or the average amount of the expenditures.

7. A store arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the paying station comprises a display on which the client can be shown inter alia information about the articles read out by the readout station and/or the payment card read out by the paying station.

8. A store arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the paying station comprises a keyboard by which a client can answer questions shown on the display.

9. A store arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the keyboard comprises at least two keys by which the client can indicate whether he agrees or does not agree with a payment transaction shown on the display.

10. A store arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the display and the keyboard are incorporated into a touch screen.

11. A store arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the paying station comprises a receipt printer which issues a receipt on which particulars of the electronic transaction are printed.

12. A store arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the closable passage and the paying station are connected to each other and together form a paying device.

13. A store arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the paying station is in the form of a vertically arranged pillar.

14. A store arrangement according to claim 13, characterized in that the pillar is mechanically connected to a gate adapted to be electrically opened and closed to open and close said passage, the pillar and the gate and the closable passage in combination forming said paying device permitting a client to pay electronically and subsequently leave the store through the opened gate and passage.

15. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrangement further comprises a dispensing station from which a client desiring to utilize the self-registration system can remove said scanner.

16. A store arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in that the dispensing station releases a scanner after recognition of an identity card, owned by the client, by the identification device.

17. A store arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the identification device comprises an insertion slot in which said identity card can be inserted, as well as a card reader capable of reading information stored on and/or in the identify card.

18. A store arrangement according to claim 17, characterized in that the identification device comprises a keyboard for entering a PIN code.

19. A store arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the dispensing station and the readout station are incorporated into a scanner station, the scanner station being accessible from two mutually separated sections of the store.

20. A store arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that the scanner station also comprises said identification device.

21. A store arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the electronic payment is effected after the client has placed the scanner in the readout station, whereafter the passage is opened.

22. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the paying means optionally implement an electronic balancing of trading stamps, deposit money and/or parking fees.

23. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrangement further comprises an automatically operating checking device which, depending on a predetermined stochastic procedure, gives a signal indicating that a check of the goods registered with the scanner by a client should take place.

24. A store arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the payment card is one of a bank card, a Giro card, a credit card and a customer card.

25. A store arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the identity card is one of a bank card, a Giro card, a credit card, and a customer card.

26. A store arrangement according to claims 20, characterized in that the payment card and the identity card are one and the same card.

27. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrangement further comprises a computer which in operation processes the information obtained by the identification device and the readout station, for implementing the electronic transaction.

28. A store arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the paying means comprise means for producing an acoustic or light signal which is generated when no passage is being granted to the client for him to leave the store.

57. A store arrangement according to claim 23 characterized in that the automatically operating checking device comprises:

a) a customer card for each client who is to use the system, each customer card including first client information identifying the client to whom the customer card is issued;

b) information processing means for processing the first client information contained on said customer card to identify the client;

c) a check parameter for each client stored in one of said customer card and the processing means, sad parameter including second client information relating to whether the client'"'"'s use of the system is to be checked for accuracy after the client has registered the selected articles in the scanner;

d) a readout station for coupling the scanner to the information processing means to read the article information regarding the articles as registered in the scanner; and

e) a check selection means for coupling the customer card to the information processing means to determine the identity of the client and for analyzing the check parameter of the client to determine and generate a signal specifying whether a check should take place of the accuracy of the use of the system for the client.

58. A store arrangement according to claim 57, characterized in that:

a) the processing means is constructed to analyze said check parameter by generating a first random integer and comparing the random integer with a second integer stored in the processing means to determine whether or not the random integer is related to the second integer and said check parameter in a predetermined way indicating that a check is to be made.

59. A store arrangement according to claim 58, wherein:

a) the check parameter is a third integer;

b) the random integer is no greater than the third integer;

c) the second integer is a predetermined integer no greater than the third integer; and

d) the random integer is related to the second integer in said predetermined way when equal to the second integer.

29. A paying device for use in a self-service store adapted for use in a self-scanning system wherein clients register articles with scanners, characterized in that the paying device includes means for paying in an electronic manner and without intervention of store personnel for goods read from one of said scanners by a readout station, and for clearing a passage for the client to leave the store when the articles have been paid for in said electronic manner.

30. A paying device according to claim 29, characterized in that the paying device comprises a closable passage which is normally closed and is automatically opened when the electronic payment has been implemented.

31. A paying device according to claim 29, characterized in that the paying device comprises a paying station for recognizing a payment card belonging to a client, the electronic payment being implemented after the payment card has been read by the paying station.

32. A paying device according to claim 31, characterized in that the paying station comprises a card processing unit by which the information stored on and/or in the payment card can be read.

33. A paying device according to claim 32, characterized in that the card processing unit is also suitable for writing information on and/or in the payment card.

34. A paying device according to claim 31, characterized in that the paying station comprises a display on which the client can be shown, for instance, information about the articles read by the readout station and/or the payment card read by the paying station.

35. A paying device according to claim 34, characterized in that the paying station comprises a keyboard by which a client can answer questions displayed on the display.

36. A paying device according to claim 35, characterized in that the keyboard comprises at least two keys by which the client can indicate whether he agrees or does not agree with the payment transaction shown on the display.

37. A paying device according to claim 35, characterized in that the display and the keyboard are incorporated into a touch screen.

38. A paying device according to claim 31, characterized in that the paying station comprises a receipt printer which issues a receipt on which particulars of the electronic transaction are printed.

39. A paying device according to claim 31, characterized in that the closable passage and the paying station are connected to each other.

40. A paying device according to claim 31, characterized in that the paying station is in the form of a vertically arranged pillar.

41. A paying device according to claim 40 characterized in that the pillar is mechanically connected with a gate adapted to be electrically opened and closed.

42. A method for purchasing articles in a self-service store according to a self-registration system, wherein a client is identified, the client registers with a scanner articles selected by him and after registration of the selected articles the scanner is coupled with a readout station, characterized by the steps of paying for the articles read from the scanner by the readout station by electronic payment using a paying device without intervention of store personnel, and providing passage to the client to leave the store after making said electronic payment.

43. A method according to claim 42, characterized by implementing the electronic payment upon presentation of a payment card.

44. A method according to claim 42, characterized by issuing a scanner to the client after he has been identified.

45. A method according to claim 44, characterized by issuing a scanner upon presentation of an identity card.

46. A method according to claim 45, characterized by issuing a customer card, for functioning as said identity card, to a client desiring to utilize the self-registration system.

47. A method according to claim 42, characterized by issuing a customer card, for functioning as a payment card, to a client desiring to utilize the self-registration system.

48. A method according to claim 45, characterized by issuing the scanner after the client has supplied to the self-registration system a PIN code associated with the identity card.

49. A method according to claim 43, characterized by implementing electronic payment only after the client has fed to the self-registration system a PIN code associated with the payment card.

50. A method according to claim 42, characterized by issuing a transaction receipt to the client after the scanner has been read by the readout device.

51. A method according to claim 43, characterized by issuing a transaction receipt to the client when the electronic payment is implemented upon presentation of the payment card.

52. A method according to claim 42, characterized in that the electronic payment includes an electronic balancing of trading stamps, deposit money and/or parking fees.

53. A method according to claim 42, characterized by giving a signal, which is dependent on a predetermined stochastic procedure, indicating that a check of the goods registered by a client with the scanner should take place.

54. A method according to claim 53, characterized in that the stochastic procedure includes:

a) issuing a check parameter to the client, said check parameter including client information relating to whether the client'"'"'s use of the self-registration system is to be checked for accuracy after the client has registered the articles selected in the scanner, said self-registration system including information processing equipment for processing said client information;

b) determining, by means of said processing equipment and said check parameter, whether a check should take place of the accuracy of the use of the self-registration system by the client; and

c) carrying out a check if it is determined by means of the processing equipment that a check is to take place.

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein:

a) the check parameter is an integer; and

b) the step of determining whether a check should take place includes the steps of;

1) generating, by means of the processing equipment, a first random integer;

2) comparing, by means of the processing equipment, the random integer to a second integer; and

3) carrying out a check if the generated random integer is related to the second integer in a predetermined way.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein:

a) the check parameter is a third integer;

b) the random integer is no greater than the third integer;

c) the second integer is a predetermined integer no greater than the third integer; and

d) a check is carried out if the generated random integer is equal to the predetermined integer.